Judges Agree To Reposition ECOWAS Court

Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, has stated his commitment to putting the suggestions from the Judges’ Retreat into action, which took place from November 15 to November 19, 2023, at Global Village Suites in Nasarawa, a federated state of Nigeria.

In his remarks at the retreat’s closing ceremony, Justice Asante described the retreat as “extremely successful” and “among the best retreats organised by the Court.”

He stressed that the recommendations adopted will make it possible for the Court to adopt additional Practice Directions to guide parties and lawyers appearing before the Court and the Court’s Registry on some matters on which the Rules of the Court are unclear.

The Judges Retreat under the theme “Strengthening the ECOWAS Court of Justice”, focused on various issues relating to the judicial practice of the Court.

The participants including the judges of the Court, as well as directors and legal officers, reviewed the Rules of Procedure of the Court on aspects which seemed ambiguous, and which posed problems of implementation.

Among the provisions examined were the Rules governing the award of compensation, the processing of requests for extension of time, the management of requests for judgment by default, and the consolidation of cases.

Participants also discussed guidelines on the scheduling of cases, handling of preliminary objections, and the currency in which compensation should be awarded.

The Vice-President of the Court, Hon Justice Gbéri-Bè Ouattara also delivered a vote of thanks during the closing ceremony. He expressed his gratitude to all participants for their zeal and commitment to the objectives of the retreat.

He commended them for their immense contribution and their diligence which resulted in relevant recommendations and resolutions.